Twenty-five year old Jack Sparrow is a clean-cut merchant seaman&nbsp;pursuing a legitimate career as a first mate for the East&nbsp;India Trading Company. He sometimes thinks back to his boyhood pirating days, but he doesn't miss Teague's scrutiny or the constant threat of the noose.&nbsp;Besides, he doesn't have much choice; he broke the Code when he freed a friend who had been accused of rogue piracy, and he can no longer&nbsp;show his face in Shipwreck Cove.</DIV><DIV>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When&nbsp;Jack's ship is attacked by pirates and his Captain dies in the altercation, Jack suddenly finds himself in command. But the wily sailor's skillful negotiations with the pirate captain--who turns out to be a woman from his past--result in a favorable turn-out that puts Jack in line for official promotion. </DIV><DIV>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; After making port in Africa, Jack is summoned by Cutler Beckett, who&nbsp;makes him Captain of a ship called the <EM>Wicked Wench</EM>. Beckett&nbsp;gives Jack an assignment. He has heard a legend about a mysterious island&nbsp;named&nbsp;Zezura whose labyrinthine bowels are said to contain a&nbsp;glorious treasure. Beckett suspects that one of his house slaves, a girl named Aisha, is from&nbsp;Zezura. He&nbsp;asks&nbsp;Jack to take her along on his voyage and seduce her into divulging the island's whereabouts. In payment for his services,&nbsp;Beckett promises Jack a share of the treasure. </DIV><DIV>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But this task isn't as easy as Jack initially believes. He begins to fall for Aisha, and&nbsp;after winning her trust, he&nbsp;takes her back to&nbsp;Zezura and reports to Beckett that he found nothing. Furious with Jack for his failure, Beckett orders Captain Sparrow to make up for the loss by transporting a new cargo--slaves. Jack wants to refuse, but&nbsp;he has no leverage. He reluctantly agrees and&nbsp;sets out for the Americas.</DIV><DIV>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A few days into the&nbsp;voyage, Jack reaches a breaking point. He can't in good conscience continue with the journey, so he&nbsp;sails to Zezura and sets the slaves free. But Beckett is prepared for&nbsp;this;&nbsp;an EITC ship is watching Jack's every move and&nbsp;intercepts the&nbsp;<EM>Wicked Wench</EM>, ordering her back to Africa.&nbsp;Having lost yet another&nbsp;lucrative venture, Beckett wants to&nbsp;hit&nbsp;Jack where it hurts the most. So&nbsp;he brands Jack as a pirate&nbsp;and then sets fire to the <EM>Wicked Wench</EM>. </DIV><DIV>&nbsp;&nbsp; Full of love for his ship, Jack dives into the ocean and swims out to the sinking vessel, but he can do nothing to&nbsp;quell the flames. The ship starts to go down, and he goes down with her. At the moment before he loses consciousness, a familiar squid-like face&nbsp;appears.&nbsp;In a last-ditch effort, Jack decides to&nbsp;take a chance. Maybe he can bargain with Davy Jones and somehow get his ship back. . . .&nbsp;<BR>